Follow our travels as we head to Indonesia on a short-term missions trip!

March 3, 2016

Update from the field...

From Chelsea for the team...

Being in Indonesia still seems surreal! We arrived at our
final destination Sunday early afternoon and somehow, have already been here
five days. It has been a huge privilege to come alongside the work missionaries
are doing here. As a team, we’ve been blessed by their servant hearts towards
us and the love they have for their people. Their humility and obedience to
Jesus has been so encouraging to us! What a challenge as we think about
returning home- how can we better engage the lost around us in Chicago and be
faithful disciple-makers? So many things we’re pondering- the Lord is clearly
working here and stirring up our own hearts in the process. We’ve seen Him
provide strength, peace, and joy in our exhaustion and jet-lag. He has also
amazed us with the beauty of His creation and in the beauty of the people we’ve
encountered in the villages. We feel so thankful to be here!

So far, we’ve spent time in two different villages of unreached people groups. Plans had changed and we ended up not going on the 5 hour boat ride. Instead, it was a 5 hour drive through the mountains! Some of us were very happy about that! :) There, we were able to spend time in the homes of Muslim families, listening to
their stories, sharing meals, and praying with them. As a team, we especially
loved our time in the Bajo village, in which we traveled through the mountains
and by boat…since they live on the water! This was a neat experience as we saw
how their entire community and life is based around their houses, shops,
school, and mosque, all built on stilts in the ocean! We were blessed by the
Bajo people’s hospitality and friendliness- the kids flocked to us, as most of
them had never seen a Caucasian person before, other than on tv! We heard many
funny comments from the villagers and had quite a few photos taken of us. It
was an experience we’ll never forget! Simultaneously, we felt great joy and
sadness during our time there. These people are so loved by God and yet are
living in such darkness and deception.

We’re now gearing up for the conference part of our trip- soon, families will
begin to arrive and we’ll be spending time with the missionary kids. Continue
to pray for us! So far, we’ve all been healthy, safe, and doing well, which we
praise God for. We’ve also had great bonding time as a team and are still
enjoying being around each other. :) Again, thanks for your support and sharing
this time with us. We are loving our time here and are looking forward to seeing
how the Lord works through the conference. We are confident that He will
continue to show us His faithfulness and goodness.